Maoists free junior engineer, collector to be released soon

The crisis surrounding the abduction of the Malkangiri district collector R Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi took a new turn with the Maoists releasing Majhi today after eight days of captivity while detaining the collector for the time being.

The Malkangiri district collector is expected to be freed soon, Majhi said at a press conference in Malkangiri after being released today morning by the Red rebels.

"The Malkangiri district collector is safe and he is in good health. The Maoists have stated that they would release him in 48 hours. We were given rice and dal by the Maoists and they did not inflict any physical or mental torture on us”, Majhi told newspersons at the press meet.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “We have information that the junior engineer has been released and now we are waiting for the release of the Malkangiri district collector.”

Meanwhile, top Maoist leader Ganti Prasadam, whose release from jail was one of the pre-conditions for the release of the hostages, was granted bail by the Orissa High Court today. This comes close on the heels of another major Maoist leader Srinivas Sriramulu who was given bail in one of the cases on Tuesday by the Malkangiri fast track court.